Baby supply cabinet



N. B. DOERR BABY SUPPLY CABINET 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 1 Feb. 5, 1952 FiledNov. 30, 1946 Nazman B. Doe m, INVENTOR.

Feb. 5, 1952 N. B. DOERR 2,584,435

BABY SUPPLY CABINET Filed Nov. 50, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Alozmanfl vezz,

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY SUPPLY CABINETNorman B. Doerr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,368

6 Claims.

The invention provides an improved combined refrigerator, heater andstorage cabinet which is portable and which may be used on auto trips orin the home.

The invention relates to a baby supply cabinet and more particularly toa cabinet having a compartment for a refrigerant such as Dry Ice withadjoining compartments for nursing bottles to be kept cool, also one ormore compartments for storage of miscellaneous goods such as diapers,canned goods, empty bottles, and the like, and a compartment for heatingone of the bottles.

An object of the invention is to conserve-the Dry Ice. This isaccomplished by arranging one of the miscellaneous storage compartmentsbetween the refrigeration and the heater compartments, and by providingseparate doors whereby the refrigerator may be kept closed at the timethat the heater is open and in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved heater whichwill make it possible to heat the bottle without the use of water Whilealso preventing condensed moisture on the bottle from short circuitingthe heater. This is accomplished by providing a heater in the form of ametal can, with one or more heating elements below the can. Preferably,one of the heating elements operates on a low voltage such as six voltsso that it can be plugged into the cigar lighter socket in anautomobile. If desired, an additional 110 volt heater element may beprovided so that the cabinet may also be used in the home and connectedto the usual 110-vo1t lighting circuit.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to thedrawings wherein Fig. l is a perspective view partly in section of ababy supply cabinet according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the lids broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 4-4of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view partly in section, with parts broken awayshowing a. modified form of partition for the refrigerator.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the supply cabinet I comprises arectangular box 2 which may be made of wood, plastic, or other suitablematerial. The box 2 has an intermediate compartment 9 which extends fromend wall 4 to the other end wall 5 and from the top of those walls tothe bottom 6, providing a storage space for diapers or the like, andalso providing a dead air space to insulate the refrigerator 7 from theheater 8. The refrigerator 1 has an outside wall 10 which is also theoutside wall of the box 2, and it has an inside wall II which extendsthe length of the box and forms one wall of the space 9. In therefrigerator l, and secured to the bottom 6 by screws 56 is a U channel[2 of sheet metal. Channel l2 has an upright branch 5! which extends infront of bottles l4 and holds them in place against wall Ill. The otherbranch 52 extends along the bottom of wall I I. Channel I2 provides aspace 3 for Dry Ice. A coil spring it extends parallel to wall I0 abovebranch 5| in position to engage the upper portion of the bottles [4 andkeep them from falling over the branch 5| which is low so that cold airWill have access to the bottles. Spring [5 is held by screw eye l6 inwall 4 and screw eye I! in wall 5.

A modification of the channel 12 is shown at 22 in Fig. 6 wherein thechannel I2 is replaced by a strip of sheet metal having a plurality ofsmall openings as indicated at 23 to keep the Dry Ice from contact withthe bottles, while admitting cold air to'the bottles, both through theholes 23 and over the top of the low partition 22.

As shown in Fig. 3, the top 24 of partition I l is at a lower level thanthe top of the box 2, with a lid 25 hinged as indicated at 26 to the topinside of the side wall HI. The lid 25 extends over the partition I! andcovers refrigerator 1. Lid 25 has suitable catch or look 21 on the sideof wall The other side of space 9 has a partition 28, the top 29 ofwhich is lower than the bottle height so that the neck of the bottlescan be readily grasped. Between partition 28 and the sidewall 30 extendfour partitions as indicated at 3| to 34, to provide miscellaneousstorage spaces for empty bottles, canned goods, clothing or the like.The space between 3| and 32 can be left empty or store an empty bottleor clothing and insulates the heater 8 from more remote spaces between32 and 33, 33 and 34, 34 and 5, which can be used to store canned foodor other articles.

The partitions 28, 3|, and walls 4 and 30 provide a heater compartment31 in which is arranged a cup 33 of metal such as aluminum. Around thecup 38 is a covering 39 of insulating material such as sheet asbestos.The cup 38 has a fiat bottom 40 which rests on the rim of and serves asa closure for an upright cylindrical flange or side wall 56 of a heaterelement 53. Heater element 53 is arranged in the bottom of the heatercompartment 37 and secured to the box bottom 6 by a screw 54 extendingthrough base 55 and accessible from compartment 31. Flange 56 rises froma square base 55 which fits the square compartment 3'1, flange 5E andbase 55 being somewhat in the form of an open upright cup and being ofinsulating material. The flange 56 encloses a 6-volt heater wire 51, seeFig. 5 and a 1l0-volt heater coil 58. Heater coils 51 and 58 aretherefore closely adjacent to the metal bottom 43 on which the bottom ofthe bottle rests. Wire 51 is connected to a cord 59 and plug 60 whichmay be stored in the space 9 when not in use. Plug 60 fits the cigarlighter socket of an auto. Coil 58 is connected to a wall socket 6|.

The cup 38 is shorter than the bottles such as M, and only slightlylarger in diameter than each bottle so that the bottom and sides of thebottles will be heated by the bottom and side of the cup 38 withoutmaking it necessary to use water in the cup 38.

Fitting on top of the walls 4, 5, Hi and 30, and extending over lid 25,space 9, heater 8 and the spaces provided by partitions 3i to 34, is acover 42 hinged to the top of Wall H! as indicated at 43, 44, and havinga suitable handle 45 and lock 46.

As to the operation of the device, a number of bottles of mils to bekept cold may be stored in the refrigerator space behind branch SI andspring [5, with a supply of Dry Ice in the refrigerator space l3. Whenit is desired to heat one of the bottles such as M, both lids 25 and 42are opened, one of the cold bottles is removed from the refrigerator 1and inserted the cup or can 38 and the heater 5'! or 58 is connected incircuit. While the heater is in operation, the lid 42 may be kept openbut the lid 25 may be kept closed to conserve the refrigeratedatmosphere and articles in the refrigerator 7. Also the dead air space9, especially if clothing or diapers are in it, serves to insulate theheater 5! or 58 with its heated cup 38 and the warm bottle M, from therefrigerator 1.

As th heaters 57 and 58 are outside of the cup 38, moisture condensed onand dropping from the cold bottle i4 remains inside of cup 38 and doesnot short circuit the heaters 57 or 58.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the invention provides a portablebaby supply cabinet serving as a refrigerator, a heater and storagespace, the heater being suitable for operation from the battery in thecar or from the lighting circuit in a dwelling.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departingfrom the, spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A supply cabinet comprising a compartment having a metal heater canshorter and slightly larger than a nursing bottle, said can having afiat bottom on which the bottom of the bottle is adapted to rest, anelectrical heater wire, an upright cup of insulating material fitting inthe bottom of said compartment, the bottom of said metal can fitting onand serving as a closure for the top of said cup, and an electricalheater element in said insulating cup.

2. A supply cabinet comprising a box having an outer wall and anintermediate lengthwise partition shorter than the height of said box,an inner lid for the space at one side of said partition, said spacecomprising a refrigerator space, a metal U-channel at the bottom of saidspace, said channel having one flange for said partition and anotherflange parallel to said wall and spaced from said wall slightly morethan the width of a nursing bottle to accommodate a row of bottles,means above said flange to support the tops of the said row of bottles,said channel providing a space for Dry Ice, and an outer lid for saidbox.

3. A supply cabinet according to claim 2, and means in said box outsideof said space for heating one of the bottles.

4. A supply cabinet comprising a box having an outer wall and anintermediate lengthwise partition shorter than the height of said box,an inner lid for the space between said partition and said wall, saidspace comprising a refrigerator space, a container for a refrigerant atthe bottom of said space, said container having a flange parallel tosaid wall and spaced therefrom to receive the bottom portion of a row ofbottles, a spring extending lengthwise of said space for supporting thetops of said rows of bottles, a metal receptacle in said box outside ofsaid space for receiving one of said bottles, an electrical heater atthe bottom of said receptacle, said receptacle being spaced from saidpartition to provide an intermediate space, an extension cord for saidheater in said intermediate space, and an outer lid for said box.

5. A supply cabinet according to claim 4, comprising a partitionparallel to said first partition and defining said intermediate space,and crosswise spaced partitions between said second mentioned partitionand an opposite outer wall of said box and defining a plurality ofsimilar spaces in one of which said receptacle is arranged.

6. A supply cabinet according to claim 1 comprising fastening meansaccessible through said compartment for fastening said insulating cup tothe bottom of said compartment.

NORMAN B. DOERR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,513,357 Webber Oct. 28, 19241,860,302 Thomas May 24, 1932 1,935,307 Ackerman Nov. 14, 1933 1,979,222Goodwin Oct. 30, 1934 2,236,368 Haaker Mar. 25, 1941 2,253 927 Butler eta1 Aug. 26, 1941 2,277,605 Palitzsch Mar. 24, 1942 2,449,874 Brum'ngSept. 21, 1948

